Tennis, baseball, and golf are games in which players can greatly improve their skills by repetitive stroke production. In order to maximize the value of stroke repetition in tennis, a consistent ball delivery means is required. Simply hitting with a partner provides a player with the opportunity to strike the ball many times. However, since the delivery means in this instance is simply another player who is also practicing his strokes, the balls may be delivered to an unlimited number of locations and with varying speeds and trajectories. While this does not present a problem for the advanced player, it can be very difficult for beginners to efficiently practice with other beginners. If a beginner can master stroke production first, the other variables will be much easier to learn.
One method to improve tennis practice efficiency for beginners is to have one player "feed" balls to another player. The first player simply takes balls from a container and throws or strikes the balls to an area from which the second player wishes to stroke the ball. This method increases the efficiency of the session for the second player. Unfortunately, the first player gets little or no benefit or enjoyment. It is a difficult task to deliver balls to the same spot consistently. This method can be costly as well since professionals are usually required for this task.
The prior art includes a large number of ball throwing machines that deliver balls to a target area for a player. These machines typically utilize a pair of wheels spinning in opposite directions to propel a tennis ball or baseball out of a staging area. There are a number of methods designed to allow the user to vary the trajectory, speed, and frequency of the ball feed. The control methods range from simple manual controls to computer operated remote controls.
However, without exception, all the prior art machines propel the balls outward with a horizontal velocity component. For an absolute beginner, striking a ball moving with considerable horizontal velocity is difficult.
Similar problems of consistent delivery occur in baseball. Again, a human pitcher or a ball machine that propels balls toward a hitter are fine for advanced players, but true beginners need a delivery means that removes at least the horizontal motion component. Many baseball hitters address the problem by using a batting tee, but manually positioning the ball for each swing grows tiring quickly. An initial coordination training could be obtained if the ball were dropped slowly through a short path of a couple of feet or so.
Another problem inherent in ball throwing machines is weather. Horizontal velocity precludes practice in one's garage as there is not sufficient reaction time within the distance available. A vertically dropped ball avoids this problem. Thus, one can practice all year long in their garage without the need for expensive indoor training facilities.
Another problem common in tennis, baseball, and golf practice is retrieving the balls. When a player is hitting off of a machine or with another person feeding him balls, there are a great many balls to be recovered after a very short amount of practice time. This reduces the efficiency of the players practice session due to the necessity of spending a considerable percentage of valuable practice time solely retrieving balls.
An inherent problem in retrieving balls when a retrieving net is used is the size of the receiving net. Nets which are supported from a base are limited in size by their nature. To be practical, their components must be compatible with a car door or trunk and small enough to be light weight. Usefulness of such a device would be very limited if their size was so great that trucking or expensive setup was required.
Another inherent problem for children and beginners is that small nets are hard for children and beginners to hit. Many balls will go over or around such nets. In the case of golf, this could be inherently dangerous.
Some receiving nets have been designed with large ball collectors on their front surface. In such a design many balls will hit the collector rather than be received by it.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ball machine that consistently delivers balls to a user.
It is a further object of the present invention to eliminate the horizontal component of the ball's velocity. A ball that is delivered with only a vertical velocity will at one point in its travel path be motionless. This point occurs when the ball reaches its peak following a bounce on a surface.
A further object of the invention is to provide a ball delivery system which because of the lack of a horizontal velocity component can be used in limited space such as a garage.
A further object of the invention is to provide a system compatible with indoor use, thus being weatherproof.
A further advantage of the present invention is that because the system is garage compatible, practice may occur after dark without the need for elaborate lighting. Even advanced players may benefit by hitting balls after work.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system that includes a ball collection and retrieval system.
A further object of the invention is to provide a target/collection net which may be hung from garage door support rails, a cyclone fence, or another existing structure, thus increasing support and accommodating large nets without unwieldy support setup structures.
A further object of the invention is to provide clamps facilitating garage door net support and at the same time allowing for rapid net retraction.
A further object of the invention is to provide a net and trough system optimally designed for maximizing frontal hitting surface with minimal collector interference.
A further object of the invention is to provide a machine which may be used for both baseball and tennis. Current machines, because of the enormous force differential between baseballs and tennis balls, are all suited for only one or the other.
A further object of the invention is to provide an inherently simple system wherein golf may be practiced in one's garage.